And Nintendo Sniffs an Opportunity ...

As Sony delays the release of PlayStation 3 until next Thanksgiving, and Microsoft continues bumbling over shortages of its Xbox 360, Nintendo is poised to gain market share. While No. 1 and No. 2 market-share leaders try to hold customers' sway with complex and costly technology innovations, Nintendo offers the opposite attributes for its new Revolution console: simplicity and low price.

"Nintendo, the grandfather of the gaming system, is going to come back and take what's rightfully theirs," predicted Ankarino Lara, VP, GameSpot, a leading gaming news and data-gathering site.

Nintendo may stock store shelves as early as September, giving it a couple of months to generate buzz -- and sales -- while Sony gears up to release PS3 and Microsoft tries to regain consumer trust. It's also focusing on gaming while Sony and Microsoft's rivalry goes beyond that to who can produce the best home-entertainment center, handling everything from photos to music to TV to the Internet.

"While Sony and Microsoft are distracted by doing everything in your house short of toasting your bread, Nintendo is being smart," Mr. Lara said. Pretty much a pick-up-and-play design, it is the game system for the whole family, including the wife and kids, with the added panache of an innovative, easy-to-use new remote.

Finally, because Microsoft, and presumably Sony, will price their systems at a starting cost of $500, most people will only choose to own one or the other. Revolution, meanwhile, will be sitting on a nearby shelf, priced exorbitantly lower -- analysts predict as low as $149.